Blade dispenser and mounting for same



United States Patent 1 [72] Inventor Paul A. Braginetz Augusta County, Virginia [21] Appl. No. 722,597 [22] Filed April 19,1968 [45] Patented Nov. 24, 1970 [73] Assignee Philip Morris Incorporated New York, New York a corporatlonoi' Virginia [54] BLADE DISPENSER AND MOUNTING FOR SAME 4 Claims, 6 Drawilig Figs.

[52] US. Cl 221/232, 221/256, 221/269, 221/283 [51] Int. Cl B65h 1/08 [50] Field ofSearch 222/174, 181; 221/268, 269, 270, 271, 276, 282, 283, 287, 198, 232, 255-257 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,352,113 6/1944 Muros 221/268 2,551,425 5/1951 Drexel 221/282X 2,835,787 5/1958 Milhalyi 221/198X 2,902,187 9/1959 Cabanban 22l/283X Harrison et a1.

Judy Heselov Stewart Billing Willhelm Silver et al.

MacDougall et al FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Primary Examiner-Samuel F. Coleman Attorney-Watson, Leavenworth & Kelton 222/181 221/283X 22l/268X 221/256X 221/257X 221 /256X 221/256X magazine.

Patented Nov. 24, 1970 3,542,245

Sheet 1 of 2 Patented Nov. 24, 1970 Sheet 3 of2 FIG. 6

BLADE DISPENSER AND MOUNTING FOR SAME FIELD OF THE INVENTION the dispensing operation, such magazines preferably include a means for withdrawing a blade into exposed position in which it may be applied directly to a holder or manually grasped for application to a holder in a manner such that the operator's fingers need not engage the cutting edge.

Distribution and dispensing of blades usually of course involves replenishing of the stock ofthe user and the present invention is concerned both with packaging and delivering blades and the dispensing of the individual blades by the user.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention embodies two main parts comprising a magazine of bladesand a supporting fixture the latter adapted to be permanently mounted at the users place. The magazine serves as a shipping container and contains mechanism adapted to cooperate with the mechanism in the supporting fixture for the dispensing of individual blades. When the blades in a magazine are exhausted the magazine is removed from the supporting bracket and replaced by a new magazine.

As embodied in a representative form of the invention disclosed herein the magazine is provided with a compartment adapted to contain a stack of 100 or so individual blades. A dispenser tray is mounted for slidable translation into and out of the magazine, the tray exerting a force on the rearward side of the lowermost blade in the stack in its withdrawal from the magazine to thereby dispense an individual blade. A bottom wall is provided for the magazine, the tray being interposed between the magazine and the bottom wall. The magazine bottom wall is equipped with means for providing complete support for the blade stack and the tray, maintaining the lowermost blade in the stack slightly above the tray. The tray and bottom wall are designed in an interfitting manner, the tray entering into the bottom wall and seating therein. The tray is equipped with upwardly extending projections which are adapted to exert the requisite removal force. The magazine further includes a partially open rear wall, and features cooperating with elements of a supporting bracket, enabling the magazine to be removably mounted thereon, the bracket including resilient means entering the back wall of the magazine and urging the blade stack downwardly ensuring the advance thereof and the successive appropriate positioning of the blades for dispensing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is an exploded view in perspective showing the constituents of the cutting blade dispenser magazine of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of one of the cutting blades adapted to be contained in and dispensed from the dispenser of FIG. 1',

FIG. 3 is an enlarged top plan view of the dispenser magazine of FIG. I;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the dispenser magazine of FIG. 1 mounted on a fixed bracket, partly cut away to show detail;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the dispenser taken along the line V-V of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view-ofthe bracket of FIG. 4.

Like numerals are used in the drawings to identify like parts throughout the following description of a preferred embodiment ofthe invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the exploded view of the parts constituting the blade dispenser of the invention in FIG. 1, magazine l0, which is preferably a molded plastic, such as high impact styrene, includes a front wall 12, sidewalls l4 and 16 and a top wall 18. The walls enclose within magazine 10 a compartment 20 which is adapted to contain a stack of cutting blades designed for mounting in a suitable holder. The configuration of compartment 20 in FIG. 1 is adapted to contain the blades 22 of the type shown in FIG. 2. The blades may vary in character and shape, the particular blades illustrated comprising a cuttingedge 24, tapering sides 26 and 28 and a rear edge 30 which has a pair of notches or recesses 32 and 34.

As is evident in FIGS. 1 and 3, compartment 20 is shaped for containment of such blades by magazine inner walls 36 and 38 which extend from top wall 18 to the base of the dispenser at which point they join horizontal plate sections 37 and 39. Flanges 40 and 42 adjoin inner walls 36 and 38 and side walls 14 and 16 to define a pair of open columns 41 and 43, which as will be described hereinafter, permit insertion of the magazine in a mounting bracket. Flanges 40 and 42 define therebetween a slot 44 which extends vertically throughout the length of magazine 10. Magazine 10 is further equipped with support lugs 46 and 48. Front wall 12 is cut away at the bottom portion thereof to define a slot 50 for dispensing blades from the magazine.

Tray 52 which is slidably movable into and out of compartment 20 through slot 50 to effect the dispensing of individual blades, comprises a panel 54 and a flange finger piece or handle 56. Where it is desired, as in the present form, to have the sliding tray secured to the magazine for pivotal movement, tray 52 further includes a support arm 58, the latter being an extension of panel 54. Tray 52 also includes on the upper surface of panel 54 one or more wedge-shaped projections or lugs depending upon the circumstances including the character of the blade 22. In the present case there are a pair oflugs 60, 62 which, as will be explained hereinafter, cooperate with recesses 32 and 34 of blades 22 to remove same. The sides 64 and 66 of panel 54 taper inwardly and rearwardly to the panel back 68. Support arm 58 or tray 52 is adapted to be pivotally connected to land 70 formed in horizontal plate section 39.

A bottom wall 72 is removably secured to magazine 10 to facilitate loading of the magazine. To load the magazine, the base plate 72 and tray 52 are removed from the magazine and the magazine is positioned to rest on its top wall 18. A stack of blades may then be conveniently inserted into compartment 20. Tray 52 and bottom wall 72 are then added to the magazine, the completed assembly being illustrated in combination with the accessory mounting bracket in FIG. 4. Alter native'ly, the entire assembly may be a unitarily molded plastic assembly in which case top wall 18 is omitted and a stack of blades is entered into the magazine in its upright position through the open top wall.

Bottom wall 72 includes on the upper surface thereof a pair of raised platforms 74 and 76, back sections 78 and 80 of which are adapted .to seat against flanges 40 and 42 of magazine 10. The platforms further include side sections 82 and 84 which taper inwardly and rearwardly in the same fashion as magazine inner walls 36 and 38 to seat therein. The elevation of platforms 74 and 76 above the top surface of bottom 'wall 72 is such that the platforms extend into the compartment 20 a distance of approximately one blade width. Platform side walls 86 and 88 define a passage 87 therebetween, the passage being shaped to receive panel 54 through aperture 50 of magazine front wall 12 (FIG. 5). Front section 90 of bottom wall 72 is cut away to form a slot 92 whichprovides a residence for the handle 56 of tray 52 when the parts are assembled.

To assemble the magazine parts, bottom wall 72 is secured to magazine 10 by passing bolts 95 through apertures 96, 98 and 100 of bottom wall 72 and into the threaded apertures I02, 104 and 106 of magazine 10. Then slidable tray 52 is inserted through slot 50 into passage 87. To provide the pivotal connection between the tray 52 and the magazine, a bolt 108 having an enlarged portion 110 adapted to serve as a pivot bearing for tray 52, inserted into aperture 112 of bottom wall 72, through aperture 114 of support arm 58 oftray 52 and into threaded aperture 116 of magazine 10.

In FIG. 4 the blade dispensing magazine is shown in its normal or vertical mounting, being supported by a bracket 120. The type of installation is especially directed to industrial use, wherein bracket 120 is fixedly mounted on a wall and is adapted to receive a replacement magazine as the blade supply in a magazine is depleted. While the bracket includes means urging the blade stack downwardly against the magazine bottom wall to overcome any bind between the blade stack the magazine may be hand held and operated without a supporting bracket.

Referring to FIG. 6. bracket 120 comprises a front support plate 122, side wall 124 and 126 and rear mounting flange I28 and 130. Extending outwardly from plate 122 are a pair ofclip 132 and 134 for receiving a magazine and urging same against the plate. Aperture 136 and 138 are formed in plate 122 below clip 132 and 134 to receive the magazinelugs and thereby support the magazine. A lot 140, which guide the movement of a blade follower 142, extend from the top of plate 122, additional guide members 144 and 146 for maintaining follower 142 vertical, being formed at the base of plate 122.

Follower 142 include a stem 148, extending downwardly within bracket 120, and a pressure pad 150. As is shown in FIG. 4, a tab 152 extend from the rear side of stem 148. A pring 154 secured to tab 152 and to guide member 146 urge follower 142 downwardly. The assembly of FIG. 4, wherein the blade dispensing magazine is shown mounted on wall bracket I22, illustrates the action of follower 142 exerting pressure on the blade tack to constantly maintain the lowermost blade against magazine bottom wall 72.

In mounting magazine 10 on bracket 120, the magazine is positioned such that bracket pressure pad 150 enters magazine slot 44 and rests on the uppermost blade, clips 132 and 134 being alined above open columns 41 and 43. As the magazine is pushed upwardly, the clips enter into the columns to a depth sufficient to permit magazine support lugs 46 and 48 to rise above the bracket apertures 136 and 138. The magazine is then pressed against theplate, whereupon the lugs enter the bracket apertures and, as the magazine is pushed downwardly, seat therein. During this movement the bracket clips 132 and 134 exit slightly from columns 41 and 43. In the completed assembly of FIG. 4, it may be seen that clip 134 enters the hollow column 43 and bears against the back wall flange 42 resiliently pressing the magazine against the bracket. Magazine lug 48 is shown in its seated position in aperture 138 of the bracket.

When the blade supply in a mounted magazine is depleted, the magazine may be removed from the bracket by simply urging the magazine upwardly'and then outwardly, thus removing lugs 46 and 48 from bracket apertures 136 and 138. The magazine is then removed from clips 132 and 134.

Operation of the magazine of the invention, whether it is hand held (FIG. 1) or mounted on a fixed support (FIG. 4) is similar. Assume tray 52 is in the withdrawn position, having previously dispensed a blade 22 from the loaded magazine 10. At this time and throughout operation of the device, the blade stack rests on bottom wall 72, the platforms 74 and 76 thereof supporting the stack above the passage 87 lying between platform sections 86 and 88. As tray 52 is returned into the magazine, panel 54 enters passage 87 and is deflected downwardly as projections 60 and 62 contact the undersurface of the lowermost blade in the stack. When the tray is fully returned to its seated position within the magazine, projections 60 and 62, which are equipped with vertical square front faces, snap into the blade recesses 32 and 34, panel 54 returning to its undeflected or horizontal position. Upon operation of handle 56, tray 52 may be withdrawn from the magazine, the lowermost blade in the stack being thereby pushed out of the stack as the vertical square front faces of projections 60 and 62 exert a dispensing force against the rear surface of the blade.

Since various changes may be made in the magazine and fixed mounting arrangement shown and described herein and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained herein shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Iclaim:

l. A blade dispenser comprising:

a. a magazine having front and side walls and a bottom wall, defining a compartment for containing a stack of blades, said front wall having a blade dispensing aperture formed therein, and said bottom wall having a pair of spaced platforms for supporting the blade stack; and

b. a blade dispensing tray mounted for sliding movement through said aperture into said magazine, said tray having a part movable into position between said platforms and carrying an element adapted to contact a rearward portion of the lowermost blade in said stack, and exert a dispensing force thereon upon outward withdrawal of said tray from said magazine, said tray being movable to an outer position where the withdrawn blade is completely free of the compartment and the blade stack therein and fully exposed on the tray for manual removal, and the blade stack is supported solely on said platforms.

2. A blade dispenser in accordance with claim I in which said tray has a pivotal connection to said compartment and is adapted to swing thereon in a horizontal arc, and said platforms have opposed edges converging rearwardly to define a passage for said tray part and said part has corresponding converging edges.

3. A blade dispenser in accordance with claim 1 in which said tray element comprises a wedge having a top surface tapering rearwardly'and downwardly on said tray part, said element adapted to engage in a notch in the rearward portion of the lowermost blade as said tray part is moved into said passage between said platforms.

4. A blade dispenser comprising, a fixed supporting bracket and a blade magazine removably mounted thereon:

a. said magazine having front, back, side and bottom walls defining a compartment for containing a stack of blades;

'b. said magazine back wall having a pair of horizontally v spaced hook shaped mounting lugs, and said front wall having a blade dispensing aperture therein, a blade dispensing tray mounted for sliding movement through said aperture into said magazine, said tray having an element contacting a rearward portion of the lowermost blade in said stack and adapted to exert a dispensing force thereon upon withdrawal of said tray from said magazine, said magazine bottom wall supporting the blade stack above the dispensing tray and further supporting said tray for sliding movement;

c. a fixed bracket for removably supporting said magazine in a vertical position thereon said bracket including resilient clip member adapted to receive and retain the upper part of said magazine and sockets for receiving said mounting hook lugs of the magazine;

d. said brackethaving a vertical guide slot therein and a blade follower mounted in the bracket for vertical movement in said slot and having a pressure pad adapted to engage the top of said blade stack, a spring mounted in said bracket connected to urge said pressure pad downwardly on said blade stack;

. said magazine having a slot in the rear wall thereof coinciding with the slot in said bracket when the magazine is mounted thereon; and

. said follower being arranged to extend through the slots in said bracket with said pressure pad within said magazine for exerting pressure on the blade stack when the magazine is mounted on the bracket but permitting ready removal of the magazine from the bracket free of said follower.

C CRT} Fl (1A T E O i C O R R E GT1 (1 N Patent No. 3,542 ,245 Dated November 24-, 1970 Inventor() PAUL A. BRAGIILIETZ It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and Lhat said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

rm Col. 2, line 42 before "tray", "or" should be of Col, 3, line 3 after "52, insert is Col. 3, line 8 "The" should be This Col. 3, line 14 aiter "stack" insert and the magazine 4 thereby facilitate blade dispensing, Col. 3, line 17 "wall" should be walls Col. 3, line 18 "clip" should be clips Col. 3, line 20 "aperture" should be apertures Col. 3, line 2]." "clip" should be clips 1 Col. 3, line 22 "lot" should be slot same lim "guide"should be guides Col. 3, line 23 "extend" after "142" should be extenc Col. 3, line 27 "include" should be includes Col. 3, line 29 "extend" after "152" should be extenc Col. 3, -,line 30 "pring" before "154" should be spring g same line "urge" should be urges I Col.- 3, line 34 "tack" after "blade" should be stacl Col. 4, line 3 of Claim 4(a) "member" before "adapted" should be members slam mo SEALED a m2 \971 Atteot:

If I E.

An fi Offi e commissioner of Fat 

